Taking branches to the nest - march 26, 2010

The female Red tailed hawk has a beautiful red tail. She was again busy for appr. 1/2 hour and then spend the rest of the time on eggs in the nest.



See the branch at the front of the photo.

Female red tailed hawk busy getting branches for nest March 25, 2010

Today it was very exciting on the nest. The female went back and forth from the nest to the woods and back again. She was tearing off branches to put in the nest. She never left for more an 5 min and was back in the nest. She then gave us a thrill soaring above us for a good 5 min. The male was in and out of the nest during this time.

The female is so large and full of feathers. When you look at the shots make sure you double click so you can see her breast hair and how large her body is. The difference in size is amazing.

Male Red Tailed Hawk takes over sitting on eggs March 24, 2010

At lunch time I was lucky to see the male come flying in and take over nest sitting. The female did not waste any time taking off. Within 10 min the female came back to the nest.

Red Tailed Hawk Female on nest - March 22, 2010

Very little activity on the nest today. Cold and rainy. I saw her when I came to work moving branches around, then at lunch tail feathers in the air and when I left there was an exchange of roles - the female left and the male went on the nest.

Photos will be very poor as the nest is high and we can barely see her from the 5th floor.

What I see from the 5th floor window

From the parking lot

From the parking lot

Nesting Date. At least one egg March 21, 2010

Female Red-Tailed Hawk is sitting on at least one egg. The nest is so high I could only see the tip of the tail feather and front beak. As you can see in the shot only the tip of her beak can be seen.


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In the nest all morning March 18, 2010

The female was in the nest twisting and turning. the pair of them were soaring high above the building today. It was fun watching them circle and circle each other.
I keep saying this but it shouldn't be long to nesting.

Female Red tailed Hawk peeling bark for nest march 15, 2010

Today at lunch I went into Frank Faubert wood to look for the hawk. I was leaning against a tree and the female landed just above me. She was busy pulling bark off the tree to put in the nest.

Still working on the nest. March 14, 2010

I was running some errands and went past the nest. The female was sitting in the nest moving the branches around and then flew off. The nest has grown quite a bit from last year.

Both Red tailed Hawks soaring around nest March 11 ,2010

today the hawks were busy from morning to the end of day. I arrived to see the female putting in a new branch on the nest. I heard from other staff that the pair were seen flying around the nest as well as the back of the Civic Centre. When I left the female was sitting in the Frank Faubert Woods and the male was soaring high around the buildings.


Female in nest

Female soaring



Female sitting in the woods

Male soaring high above

Nest Saved for Red Tailed Hawks March 9, 2010

Take a few minutes to check out the article on the red tailed hawks nest. For the past month I have been hearing about the trees possibly coming down. I emailed a councillor about the red tail nest and he went to bat for the hawks. See attached link for photo of the red tails and article.

Ann
PS I added the article to the blog but you should go to Inside Toronto to see the article. Not sure if the link will work but just copy and paste it to the internet.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/community/life/article/627815--trees-used-by-hawks-to-nest-saved-near-scarborough-civic-centre

BRAD PRITCHARD

Mar 08, 2010 - 12:57 PM

Trees used by hawks to nest saved near Scarborough Civic Centre

Trees used by hawks to nest saved near Scarborough Civic Centre. A red-tail hawk flies near the Scarborough Civic Centre recently. Plans for the location of a library by the civic centre were altered to save the trees that the hawks nest in. Photo/ANN BROKELMAN Photo-blogger Ann Brokelman has friends in high places.

For the past year or so, she has been watching a family of red-tail hawks who have taken up residence in the woodlot just outside her office at the Scarborough Civic Centre.

Brokelman has snapped pictures of these birds during her lunch break ever since her colleague noticed them flying outside the building. On her website, she has more than 1,000 pictures of these birds and has documented the feathered family throughout various stages of their life.

She started taking pictures when the parents began to build a nest for their eggs, and continued to watch when the fledglings first emerged from the nest and started their branching phase, a precursor to flying where they jump from tree branch to tree branch.

But a feeling of dread came over her when she learned that a new 15,000-square-foot library would be built in the vicinity of one of the oak trees the hawks had nested in.

"When I walked up to some of the trees, they were marked red and were tagged," she said. "I know in the area I live that this means they are coming down."

It turns out her concerns had merit.

Scarborough Centre Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker has been aware of these hawk sightings in the past, but it was only a couple months ago when he found out about the nest in the trees on the north side of Borough Drive.

So he had this in mind when he attended a staff meeting last month, where one of the revealed construction plans called for all of the trees on the north side of the street to be chopped down.

The trees, which are somewhere between 40 to 50 years old, sit on a steep, inaccessible grassy knoll.

Architects called the space awkward, and that it could be redeveloped for better use. They suggested the area be flattened to make way for an open public space that would lead to the library. It would serve a purpose, but it would ensure the destruction of the nesting grounds for the birds.

"I vetoed the plans to cut these trees down," De Baeremaeker said. "I said, 'No way!'"

Instead, an alternative plan which would see the $8-million library moved west of trees, effectively putting them out of harm's way, was considered.

After discussing the idea with library and forestry staff, it was decided that would be the best outcome. An allowance was even made to delay the construction project when the hawks migrate back to the area to nest, between the months of March and May.

This will help ensure these highly sensitive birds won't be frightened away and forced to locate elsewhere, or worse, abandon their babies.

While saving the trees may have been primarily an eco-conscious decision, De Baeremaeker said it also affirms all the work that has been done in the past to halt the development of condos in the Frank Faubert woods, just north of Ellesmere Road.

Painting a picture of the future, he said "What better a transition for people walking out of the library? You can leave with a book and go sit under a 50-year-old oak tree and enjoy it."

The library is slated to start construction in early 2011, and will open sometime in 2012.

To view Brokelman's photo blog, visit www.redtailnest.blogspot.com

Female in the nest March 5, 2010

Both red tailed hawks were circling the nest today. At one point the female was sitting in the nest looking around (see photos). Also a dove landed on the branch in front of her - she quickly dove and found her breakfast.

Female in the nest


Enjoying lunch

Building the nest March 3, 2010

Today there was a lot of activity on the nest. Both hawks were working hard on the nest. The female landed in front of me - broke off a branch then right back into the nest. She was checking out the nest - laying in it, moving a branch, plucking the branches above. Time must be getting close. Notice the full crop (must have just eaten), the extra feathers on the chest and legs for winter. This is one beautiful female hawk.
DOUBLE CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO THEN HIT THE ARROW GOING BACKWARDS TO CLOSE

Female sitting on lamp post March 1, 2010

The female was just sitting on the lamp post near the civic centre. Looked like she had a full crop. I have seen her here before.